You may have heard of fraudulent streaming before, but as an independent artist or producer, what should you know about them? Fraudulent streaming (also referred to as bot streaming) is when streams are generated via bots, often as a result of a third-party promotional service. Unfortunately, most artists will not be aware if they are receiving artificial streams, but will still receive repercussions for it.
What happens if bot streaming is detected on my release?
Unfortunately, if bot streaming is detected on your music, your earnings will likely be frozen, followed by your release being taken down. Additionally, your trac account may be subject to termination, as well as your account with various streaming services and stores.
How do I detect if my music has been bot streamed?
There are a few indicators that your music is being bot streamed. Via your Spotify for Artists account, you can view the playlists your release has been accepted into. If you spot playlists with bad grammar, low cover art quality, and filled with random and unknown artists, this can be an indicator that your song has been submitted into a botted playlist. In Spotify For Artists, you can look into your “Fans Also Like” section to ensure that the artists recommended are related to your genre of music. If the artists appear to be random, this can mean fraudulent streaming is affecting spotify’s algorithm. Additionally, be sure to check on your Stream/Save ratio for unbalanced numbers. If the saves are less than 2-3%, this can indicate that your music is being fraudulently streamed.
What should I do if I think my music is being bot streamed?
If you think your music is being streamed by bots, please ensure you send us an email at support@trac.co explaining why you believe your music is being fraudulently streamed.
If you are wanting to use a third-party promotional service to achieve streams or additional playlisting, it is important to thoroughly examine their authenticity. There is an overwhelming amount of services that claim they will provide organic streaming but in fact only provide artificial streams. Please ensure every 3rd party playlisting service is authentic before doing any business.